Begin Again
by daysandweeks
Summary: LBD universe. Darcy and Lizzie were bordering on a relationship, but a few wrong words ruined everything. Not shortly afterwards, Lizzie started dating George and Darcy moved to New York to get away from everything. But when Darcy and Lizzie run into one another a year later, can they start over again?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! So over on my tumblr (5give-5get) I asked for some LBD prompts in my ask and said I'd write fic for them! I'm working on every single one I receive, but this is the one that I could post the fastest. Request was from an Anon.**

**Request: **I would love to read a post-LBD angst fic. It's pretty vague but I do love some angst.

**I assumed post-LBD meant after the series is over. And I took a completely AU spin with this.**

**This is going to be a multi-chap fic. It is angsty but I promise a happy, fluffy, Lizzie/Darcy ending. Enjoy!**

.xox.

_But the angles and the corners _

_Even though my work is unparalleled _

_They never seemed to meet _

_This structure fell about our feet _

_And we were free to go _

"Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect" – The Decemberists

**December 2013**

It was snowing already, something Will had not anticipated, given the pleasant weather the past few days. No matter how much news he watched, he never seemed to believe the weatherman when he predicted large amounts of snow in the forecast, at least not until January or February. Maybe it had something to do with growing up in L.A., where he was certainly not as likely to see snowfall as he was here in New York.

Since moving to New York, Darcy had dealt with snow on a few occasions. This was going to be his first full winter in the city, though. He'd moved in February of the previous year, trying desperately to get away from everything in California, all under the mask of work.

Will crossed the street, grateful that he was almost home to his penthouse apartment. He honestly wasn't the biggest fan of snow and wanted nothing more than to relax in front of his television with either a warm drink or simply a warming one. There was a six pack in his fridge, and admittedly not much else. He was in great need of a trip to the supermarket.

Eventually, Will made it back to his apartment. The elevator ride up was gruelingly dull. A couple who lived on the eighth floor stood beside him for part of the way, holding hands the entire time and even stealing a kiss. Will hated feeling bitter about love, but he still did.

Back in his apartment, he shrugged off his coat before hanging it up in the closet and heading towards the kitchen. There wasn't any food aside from some pretzels in the cabinet, which would have to suffice for a meal. He found his bottle opener and opened up a beer before pouring some pretzels into a bowl and heading to the couch, not even bothering to change into comfier clothes, though he did kick his shoes off. William Darcy wasn't necessarily one for "comfy" clothes. A suit and tie, and often a bow tie, suited him just fine. Though he did wear bow ties less often these days.

There wasn't much on T.V., which left Darcy alone with his thoughts as he continued to flip through the channels, his eyes glued to the gigantic flat-screen in his apartment, but his mind somewhere else entirely. He hated it, but his mind always drifted back to her, to Lizzie. He wondered how she was doing. She likely had Christmas plans, and even more likely with George Wickham. He cringed at the thought.

The truth was, Darcy thought for the millionth time since he had last seen Lizzie Bennet while cracking open his next beer, he had tried to tell Lizzie about Wickham, back when things seemed so perfect and hopeful between them. Back when she'd been staying at Collins & Collins, and he'd taken her out on a few dates after that fight they'd gotten into. He'd kissed her three times, and once she had taken her shirt off, she had pulled him to her in that office and sat on that desk and she had flicked her fingers down to his belt and started to work and he had kissed her again and again and her hair had been messy and his bow tie had come off, "this infuriating thing" as she had called it, and then there had been a knock at the door and Charlotte Lu had walked in without waiting for a response and Lizzie had screamed.

But those days ended quickly. She'd asked him where their relationship was headed since she'd felt it had come on so unexpectedly. And he'd spouted out some nonsense about how awful her family was and this and that… Well, it had all come out completely the wrong way.

And now, months later, he sat in his expensive rooftop apartment with nothing but his fourth beer (a brand Lizzie had found to be pretentious, he mused with a frown) and pretzels for solace.

Darcy's cell buzzed and he picked it up to see a text from Gigi. _Hope you're not throwing yourself a pity party, big bro_, she had written. _It's Friday night. Get out there._

Will rolled his eyes and tried to formulate a reply, but before he could he was distracted by a rumble from his stomach. "I suppose pretzels won't cut it tonight," he conceded before typing up his reply. _Don't worry about me. All is well._

Darcy stood and sighed before heading towards the closet to grab his coat. There was a Chinese place a block and a half away, and though he rarely consented to such inferior food, he had to admit that on occasion he, like most everyone else, craved General Tso's Chicken. He made sure to pull on some gloves and toss a scarf around his neck before stepping into the elevator. Any hats, newsie or not, were forgotten, perhaps out of some sort of unconscious insecurity, or maybe due to the fact that he'd had four drinks in only an hour, as was not his usual habit.

Perhaps due to the snow, no one was at the restaurant, so Darcy was in an out in a heartbeat. He couldn't wait to get back to his apartment to indulge in this guilty pleasure. He rounded the corner, a smile on his face, and then all hell broke loose.

Here before him was an entirely different sort of guilty – and painful – pleasure. Lizzie Bennet, who he had not seen in over a year, stood with her arms spread wide. A snowflake fell from the sky and she caught it on her tongue, oblivious to the few other people on the street. And oblivious to Will, who stood there, mesmerized, struggling to not drop his bag of Chinese food.

She was wearing a black pea coat that he had never seen before and a red scarf. Her hands had to have been freezing, because she seemed to have forgotten her gloves. Her hair was a mess, glued to her forehead due to the precipitation.

He had to pass her to get back to his apartment, and there was no use just standing there staring. Will took a deep breath and walked on.

For a moment he thought about stopping and saying hello to her. But then he remembered that she was the last person in the world who wanted to see him after all of the awful things he had said. Not to mention the fact that her boyfriend of over a year now absolutely despised him and had probably filled her head with all sorts of nasty propaganda, the pathological liar that he was.

But he couldn't escape. Because just as he was about to walk by her, Lizzie opened her eyes, a wide grin on her face after her fun in the snow. But that grin fell the moment she saw him. He smiled politely in an attempt to end it at that, and was just at her side, ready to pass her, when she reached out an arm and stopped him. He could feel how cold her hand was even through his coat.

"Darcy?"

And that was when Will Darcy's world came crashing down yet again, all due to the same woman.

.xox.

**Well, that was a shorty, but please review! I'd love to know that people are reading this and I'm eager to write more.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks so much for the reviews on my last chapter, guys! I promise that I am working on the other requests. I should actually have one posted pretty soon! I'm just definitely most inspired with this piece right now, and since I got so many lovely reviews, I wanted to post quickly out of fear of doing otherwise!**

**I also updated with a drabble from Lydia's point of view called "No Worse for the Wear" if you wish to check it out.**

.xox.

_I don't wanna fall another moment into your gravity._

"Gravity" – Sarah Bareilles

Lizzie had no idea why she was eating Chinese food in William Darcy's penthouse apartment.

Things had started out innocently enough. She'd bumped into him on the street while out simply enjoying the snow. Maybe that had been a stupid idea, going on a lone walk in a still strange city on a Friday night. Maybe she had been _looking_ for trouble.

But didn't trouble normally come in the form of a mugging? (Okay, maybe not on the Upper East Side. How had she gotten here again?) Was bumping into Darcy better or worse than getting beaten up and robbed? (And okay, the answer to that was obvious. Barely tolerable or not, Darcy wasn't out to hurt her. Unlike some people.)

They'd already discussed the basics – why they were in the city and how they had gotten there, which for both included work – in the walk back to his apartment. Originally Darcy had invited her to get a drink, but Lizzie had rationalized that she didn't want his Chinese food to get cold. Actually, she'd said, "Wait, Will Darcy eating cheap Chinese food? I can't pass up on the opportunity to see this." And then, just to be somewhat polite, she'd added, "And, you know. Don't want it to get cold."

And so now here she was, sitting down on his ridiculously comfy couch, munching some pork lo mein.

Darcy, who had been rummaging about in the kitchen, entered the living room again, a bottle of wine in hand. He was staring at the bottle intently instead of regarding Elizabeth. "I had a bottle of Merlot lying around, if you'd like some. It doesn't particularly pair well with Chinese, I'm afraid."

Lizzie smirked. The last thing she wanted to do was get all liquored up around Darcy. She had a feeling that the encounter wouldn't end well if she did. "No, thanks. I think I'm fine with this Sprite," she said, gesturing to the can and ice-filled glass before her before taking a sip.

He actually looked up at her and smiled now. "Good," he said, his voice nearly happy, "because I have to admit that when it comes to wine I'm a total…" He trailed off, as if looking for the correct word, "…snob," he finally said, and he even smirked when Lizzie had to try hard not to stifle a laugh, "and I would hate to cause the travesty of drinking the right wine with the wrong meal."

"It's always the wine that's right, isn't it?" Lizzie asked with an arch smile. Darcy simply smirked in response before heading back to the kitchen to put the wine away.

Things were going well so far, but of course Lizzie would have to get to the rough stuff eventually. It was sort of weird to be lounging about in the home of a man she hated, after all. Or, well...almost hated. Right now things were feeling too much like old times, and by old times she meant the month of November 2012, to cause her to feel complete disdain for the man.

When Darcy entered the living room again, he sat down at the opposite end of the couch before picking up his own plate of Chinese food and placing it on his lap. He focused on the television for a bit. Lizzie had been surprised at his choice, a news show on _Comedy Central_. Perhaps he had been attempting to please her, for it didn't seem like his typical choice of entertainment.

"So what would you have paired with this meal?" she asked by way of conversation, if only so she didn't have to suffer in silence as the guests on the television laughed.

Darcy met her gaze, but didn't speak until he had finished chewing. "A Riesling, definitely."

"My favorite," Lizzie couldn't help but admit with an appreciative smile.

The silence continued. It wasn't quite comfortable, but Lizzie worried that the small amount of awkwardness she felt was all in her head. She moved to talk but it was at the exact same time Darcy did, and the two ended up just quietly chuckling instead.

He let her go first, though.

"I wanted to apologize for the way things ended last year," she said as quickly as possible, because she knew if she waited a second longer, she would no longer feel that way. If she waited even a millisecond longer, she'd remember just how much she hated Will, not how sweetly uncomfortable she felt in his presence. "I've realized, since then that…" She trailed off here to put down her plate in order to gesture, her hands cupping at nothing. "That no matter what people say, things aren't always what they seem." Was the pain evident in her voice? Did she want him to detect it.

Darcy leaned back in his seat. She could tell that he was thinking deeply, and was irritated enough by the amount of time it was taking for him to formulate a reply that she reached for her plate once again and stabbed violently at her food. Will hadn't even suggested that they use chopsticks, and she wondered now if he had done it to patronize her, to make things easier for her out of some sort of presumptuous idea, or if he just preferred using forks. In any case, it was easier to do so when the plate was balanced on one's knees.

"I'd like to apologize as well," Will finally said, and though Lizzie wanted to meet his gaze, she absolutely couldn't. "I said… I definitely said some things that you had every right to be angry at me about." He paused and then continued, and she could hear a subtle change in his voice. He sounded tired and almost hopeful, like a child at their first sleepover or a college kid walking out of a final that they had aced after pulling many all-nighters. "But things worked out in the end, didn't they? For Jane and Bing, at least."

Lizzie smiled at met Darcy's gaze now. "Yeah, they've been together for a year next month," she said. "They're ridiculously happy." And then, as a side question, "You didn't have anything to do with that, did you?"

He was silent again, holding her gaze in a way that indicated he wasn't even thinking about speaking, just about her. Darcy had that unnerving ability at times, and that had been, at one point, what had made Lizzie want to take off his pants in the office where she filmed her videos at Collins & Collins. She blushed at the memory and directed her gaze to her own jeans.

At this point, a more suave man – a George of the world – would have leaned forward and cupped her face. He would have changed the conversation, said she looked cute when she blushed. But when Lizzie finally managed to look at Will again, he was staring at the cushion in between them instead, this time seeming like he was actually formulating a reply to her question. "I think," he finally said, "that when two people really care about one another, they find their way back to each other." He looked up at her quite pointedly now, but she couldn't tell what point he was making. "With help from others or not."

Part of her wanted to throw herself into his arms then. She wanted to part his lips with her own and to melt into him as she had once or twice or three times before. But another part of her stung from his harsh words still. At the memory of them, she snorted. "What am I doing here in your penthouse apartment anyway," she asked with a sneer at the word "penthouse". She stood up from the couch and made for the door, the Chinese food forgotten. "This was stupid. I'm glad I ran into you but, I mean, I think we both know that there's nothing to be said. I'm just some middle class scum of the earth and –"

Darcy stood now, following her to the door. Perhaps he wanted her to stop, but he made no move to grab her as she had done to him on the sidewalk. "I never said anything of the sort, Lizzie."

"You _implied_ it," she spat back, her hands balled into little fists. She had meant to run to the door, but now she turned to face him in the small hall area between the living room and the kitchen of the apartment that led to the elevator. "You insulted my family and Jane and… Well, I doubt you're happy that she's back with Bing. That smug smile on your face. 'If two people really care about one another…' You doubt them still, after all this time, don't you?"

He looked completely bewildered. "You misjudge me."

"It wouldn't be the first time," Lizzie shot back. She'd misjudged many men in her life. Perhaps Darcy hadn't been her worse mistaken decision of all, but she had once thought him to be kind. She wouldn't make that same mistake twice. "Thanks for the Chinese food. I'll see myself out."

And with that, she turned on her heel and called the elevator. Luckily, it was right there, so she immediately jumped inside, jabbed at the "bottom floor" button furiously, and disappeared from Darcy's vision between the closing doors.

.xox.

**Yikes! Lizzie made up a whole lotta nothing there the second things got comfortable. I think given her past with Darcy and her past assumptions, though, it's something she'd be likely to do!**

**I promise updates on what happened with Lizzie's vlogs in the next chapter. Also, Darcy's POV.**

**Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow guys. The reviews I have been getting both on here and on tumblr have been just lovely. Thank you so much for reading, and please keep reviewing because it honestly inspires me to write more! Sorry this one took a while.**

.xox.

_There are times life will rattle your bones and will bend your limbs._

"Dear Avery" – The Decemberists

She had stormed back into and then back out of his life in the matter of an hour or two.

Darcy had spent the nice practically sleepless, tossing and turning to thoughts of Lizzie. With one turn, he would think that Lizzie had behaved horrendously. With another, he would remember all of the awful things he had said to her a year ago and realize that she had every right to doubt him. And then he would remember that George Wickham was part of the picture now. No doubt Wickham had filled Lizzie's head with all sorts of slander.

It was at seven in the morning, as Will sipped his coffee (no cream, one sugar) and stared blankly at his Macbook screen, that he remembered the videos.

He'd found out about them innocently enough during the beginning of their brief affair. He'd stumbled into her office while she was recording, and he'd ended up making the cut to be in one of her vlogs. After that he'd watched her old videos, and she'd apologized for the things she'd said about him. Her words had hurt, but at that moment Will had everything he wanted, and so he'd brushed it off without a second thought.

And after their fight, Will had watched a video or two… or ten. Their fight had made the cut as well, actually.

And then George Wickham reappeared in Lizzie's videos. At the point that they shared a kiss and announced their relationship, Darcy had stopped watching and decided to attempt, however, futilely, to move on. Luckily for him, given his circumstances, moving on included the option of moving to another city time zones away from Lizzie Bennet and George Wickham.

But apparently at least Lizzie, if not her boyfriend too, had followed him to New York, and not just in his thoughts and dreams.

Well, there was only one way to find out if Wickham was still a part of Lizzie's life, poisoning her with his lies. Will logged onto Twitter first, hoping that a tweet or two of Lizzie's might give some insight, sparing him from watching videos. But her tweets were all either links to her latest updates or vague hints about her life. Though Will could tell if things were going well or horribly for Lizzie, 140 characters did not do the justice to tell him _why_. At some point in early November she had tweeted: "Can't wait to move to New York next week!" and then a week later "Loving the city" with an Instagrammed pic of Time Square. That was the most detail she gave in her tweets.

Her newest video had been posted Thursday. With a sigh, he clicked on the link. "Here goes."

"New York was exactly the fresh change that I needed," Lizzie started. She was wearing a gray cardigan with what looked like a black tank top underneath. "Things have been hard so far, and I know I haven't said it, but…" Her voice grew tender. "I miss Jane and Charlotte and dad." She gave a strange little nod. "And Lydia." Now she leaned conspiratorially towards the camera. "And dare I say it? I miss my mother!"

The cut changed and Lizzie was leaning back in her chair now, more relaxed. "But last night I finally went out and had some fun. My name is Lizzie Bennet, and I'm starting to like life New York City."

The rest of the video was an amusing retelling of Lizzie's night out on the town. She'd gone out with some work friends and had apparently had a good time. She even talked about flirting with a few men, though she didn't give any of them her number. _Flirting with men?_ Darcy wondered. _Is Wickham not in the picture, then?_ Though he was certain George Wickham would have flirtations outside of his relationship, Will's image of Lizzie was that she would never do such a thing. Or at least if she did, she certainly was smart enough not to brag about it online.

Curious as to what had happened to Wickham, Darcy clicked on Lizzie's profile and scanned through her other videos. Somewhere in late September, Wickham stopped appearing in the thumbnails, though he was in at least three a month from last December on.

Will glanced at the paperwork he had brought into the living room with him. It sat untouched on the sofa. "This can wait," he assured himself as he closed his laptop and pulled the papers onto his lap instead. "Work is more important than figuring out who's sleeping with George Wickham."

But half an hour later, Will's brain was still abuzz with thoughts of Lizzie. Lizzie angry and storming out of his apartment. Lizzie with her slightly sad eyes in her last video. Lizzie kissing George on camera. Lizzie kissing _Will_ in the offices at Collins & Collins.

_This isn't about finding out who's sleeping with George Wickham. It's about finding out where the hell I lost my chance and how I can get it back._

The paperwork was tossed aside. Work could wait. Gigi was always telling him he was too obsessed with it anyway. "Lighten up," she'd told him in her last phone call. She'd been on her way to a frat party. In truth, Will definitely had his qualms with her attending such an event, but Gigi had been so shy and withdrawn the past few years that he likely would have let her skip off to a biker bar if she'd said all her friends would be there, simply elated at the idea that she had friends. "Go out. Have a few drinks. Meet a girl. Or just waste time on the Internet for an hour and a half. Work's not as important as enjoying life, you know."

And while Will had always rolled his eyes at that statement – work was the only reason either of them were able to afford the lifestyles they lived, since their ancestors had certainly worked, rather than Internet-surfed, their way to the top – he took it as his reasoning for watching all of Lizzie's videos that he had yet to see on this particular Saturday morning that faded into afternoon.

.xox.

At three in the afternoon, Darcy sat in his favorite coffee shop, his eyes red from staring at a computer screen for so long. He started at the stark white wall with nothing but tiny framed black and white images on it. _I've come to this shop so many times since moving to New York_, he thought to himself, _and yet for the life of me I could not tell you what any of those photographs represent._

The barista approved Will's table with his usual order and placed it before him before smiling at him oddly and walking off. _She probably doesn't like my stupid newsie hat,_ he thought to himself with a wry smile. He didn't take it off.

Lizzie's videos had progressed from painful to more painful to painful in a way Darcy had never expected. At first her videos were all about her life post-Collins & Collins, about her jokes with George. In February something awful happened. "My name is Lizzie Bennet," she had chimed, "and I think I've found my happily ever after." She'd exchanged a kiss with George and then, after he left, announced that they'd said "I love you."

_George knows nothing of love,_ Darcy thought to himself now. He'd been in love with Lizzie for over a year now, only to have her stomp on his heart repeteadly.

In July, things started to get strange. Multiple times that month, George appeared and randomly attempted to poke fun at Darcy, digging out Lizzie's "newsie hat" and even bringing a bow tie of his own as a prompt. To Will's dismay, Lizzie laughed the first time, but after that, she started to push away the idea of George's pantomime. "We haven't even seen Darcy in months," she said in a soft voice. "What's the point in making fun of him? The guy hasn't done anything to hurt either of us in quite some time."

And finally she asked, "What is your obsession with Darcy?"

George snorted. "My obsession? You spent months making fun of the guy. And it's not an obsession. I just don't like people who have wronged me."

Darcy's blood boiled even thinking about this part again. It was nothing compared to his reaction when he'd originally watched the video. He'd nearly thrown his Macbook across the room at one point.

And then in September, George not-so-mysteriously disappeared.

"My name is Lizzie Bennet, and…people aren't always who you think they are."

From then on, Lizzie appeared thinner and thinner in every video. In mid-October, she finally came clean with what the issue was. "So if you haven't figured it out already," she said as she sat in the bedroom of her parents' house in her too-large blue sweater, "George and I broke up. Or, I broke up with him."

A few frames later: "George cheated on me."

She paused and the shot changed. Her room was slightly darker, as if it had taken her a few hours to come to her decision to tell the world exactly what had happened.

"And it's not as if he just cheated on me once, or twice, or many times with the same person." She paused. "He's been cheating on me since we got together. With multiple women." She paused and took a deep breath. "I found out when I was playing a game on his cell phone one day and a text came through. He wasn't around so… I read it since it looked suspicious, and a few others in his inbox too."

She was on the verge of tears here, the anger in her voice evident. "And you know? I'm still miserable. I feel disgusted with him, yeah, but I loved him. _I loved him_ and sometimes I think I still love him, though I'd never take him back."

A few videos later, she was still on the subject. "It just makes me feel so useless, so awful. Like I wasn't good enough, you know? I know he's the bad guy here, but it made me feel as if I was unable to please him. _I_ thought things were good, you know…_in bed_…but he was doing that with other girls and that just makes me feel so dirty. It's not even the cheating that was a breach of trust, it was being intimate with me and then going around doing that with other people." She realized that she had said she felt dirty and waved her hands dramatically. "I went to the doctor, though. It's all good. I'm safe. I wouldn't be surprised if the douchebag has _something_ though and I was just lucky enough to not catch it."

She paused now, then smirked. "You know, I used to refer to someone else as a douchebag. But he didn't even come close to the douchebaggery that George Wickham is capable of."

It had been awful to watch the woman he loved reduced to such a sad image. Had she been that thin when he'd seen her last night? Eventually Lizzie had decided to move to New York – "to pack up and move on" as she had put it. And that had brought her here, to him.

So with George Wickham out of the picture, could Darcy finally right his wrongs? Could he finally tell Lizzie how he felt?

_And can I maybe fix things for her? Show her how worth it she is? Make things better._

There was only one way to find out. And unfortunately, that probably meant getting his heart stomped on once again.

But maybe this time it would be worth it.

.xox.

**Sorry this is such a video-heavy chapter. I knew what I wanted to write, but that's why it took my forever to write it. Anyway, hope you enjoyed! Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Enjoy some drunk Lizzie! I had a blast writing this chapter, so I hope you like it as much as I liked writing it!**

.xox.

_Been trying hard not to get in trouble but I, I've got a war in my mind._

"Ride" – Lana Del Rey

"Lizzie, do you think, maybe… Well just maybe a little bit… Don't you think that was _harsh_?"

It was a mistake Lizzie had made in the past. Whenever she felt her actions hadn't been completely justifiable, Lizzie was want to run to Jane for advice. Jane was now three time zones away, and Lizzie could picture her with her red hair and her white iPhone 5 pressed against her cheek, a concerned frown on her face. Yet again, in as reassuring of a tone as she could muster, Jane was telling Lizzie exactly what Lizzie was thinking yet did not want to be thinking.

She had made a terrible, awful mistake.

Still, Lizzie bit her lip. "Harsh? After what he said to me about our family? After how he basically insinuated I was good to mess around with for a little while, but was certainly not girlfriend material?"

"No, I don't think that's what he was insinuating." Still, over a year later, Jane was apparently determined to see the good in everyone, including Darcy. Her voice sounded gentle over the phone, but Lizzie could tell there was no dissuading her. "You never slept with Darcy, Lizzie. You two went on a few dates, and things were great. If he just wanted to, you know…_bed you_…and then forget about you, wouldn't he have just done that?"

"I wouldn't have let him."

"But he didn't even try. He was a gentleman, you said."

Lizzie frowned. God, Jane was right. And to top it off, where had her main source of Darcy information come from? _George_, Lizzie thought with a small frown.

"I've got to go," Lizzie said quickly before Jane could manage to persuade her to shoot Darcy a text asking to make it up to him. "I'm actually going out with some girls from work tonight. They were fun last time we went out. Should be a blast."

"Have fun, Sis. I love you."

Lizzie felt a pang in her heart. She missed her sisters so much. And Charlotte. And her parents. And so many other insignificant people form California. "Love you too."

As she placed her phone down on her vanity table, Lizzie took a look at herself in the mirror. She was thinner than she had been a year ago with slightly dark circles under her eyes. "Nothing concealer can't fix," she chirped while reaching for her make up bag. Though not one to go crazy with the cosmetics, Lizzie was eager to have a night out on the town. When she went out with the girls from work, she often forgot about George and what he had done and how much she missed him, at least for a drunken hour or two. And maybe tonight she would even manage to forget about Darcy.

"Darcy," she growled as she reached towards her iHome and pressed play. Old school Britney Spears poured from the speakers and Lizzie stifled a giggle as she sang along to the lyrics of "Lucky". She had been a preteen when this song had come out. She would listen to Britney Spears with Jane while they attempted to perfect their makeup application technique. How oddly similar her current situation was to then.

When she was finished with her makeup, Lizzie stood and looked at her full reflection in the mirror – black shirt, fuchsia skinny jeans, only slightly uncomfortably high heels. _Tonight will be fun_, she thought to herself. _I'll only get a little drunk. And if Monica makes out with any less-than-sanitary boys, I won't drunkenly fall in love with their less-than-sanitary wingmen for half an hour._ She'd done this once or twice before – not hooked up with, but hung on the arm of a man at the bar and then woke up the next morning wondering, _Ugh, what the hell?_

And so Lizzie wandered off into the night, or rather to Monica's apartment, eager to see what Manhattan would bring her this time around.

.xox.

Five hours later, Sidney was vomiting in a very dirty bathroom.

For the first few minutes Lizzie spent holding Sidney's hair back, she almost forgot who the girl was, but then it all came rushing back to her. _Monica's college friend. Doesn't go out much. Visiting Monica for the weekend. But shit, where's Monica?_

"Likely off with some random," Lizzie muttered aloud. Sidney, mid-dry-heave, did not hear her.

Monica had never ditched Lizzie like this before, especially with some sick girl that Lizzie had never met before. But then again, Lizzie barely knew Monica and only had been out with her a few times. Desperate to reunite Sidney with her flaky friend, Lizzie reached into her wristlet and pulled out her cell. "Monica Darby," she stated while scrolling through her address book.

"That bitch, where is she?" Sidney groaned, wiping off her mouth.

Relieved that the skinny blonde girl was finally done hurling, Lizzie let out a sigh. "Do you need some water, sweetie?" she asked, surprised at her use of a pet name. The world was hazy, though, so she really was capable of saying anything.

"That'd be great. Thanks so much for helping me," Sidney rasped.

Lizzie kissed her forehead in a motherly before stumbling out of the bathroom stall and towards the sink. She nearly lurched into it, dropping her phone into the sink. She picked it up and placed it by the faucet before knocking back the remaining contents of her own cocktail, which she had brought into the bathroom with her, and filling the glass up with cold tap water. She handed the glass to Sidney, who was sitting with her back against the side of the stall now, before clicking the green "call" button on her phone to get in contact with Sidney.

After a few rings, a tired and surprised-sounding male voice answered her. "Hello?" he asked.

_Great_, Lizzie thought. _Monica's hook-up picked up, not her. She's probably passed out in bed by now._ The truth was, Lizzie still was a bit confused by the city and wasn't exactly sure how to get back to her apartment from here. She also didn't really want Sidney to sleep over. Nor was she certain she had enough money, in cash or on her card, for cab fare. Considering what she knew of Monica, even if she was a flake, she usually had half decent taste in men. Whether her flavor of the night was sanitary in the "I take showers" way or not, he usually seemed like a nice guy. _Better play nice with Phone Boy_, Lizzie thought to herself before speaking.

"Hey," she said, trying to sound as sweet as possible, which apparently wasn't very hard given the way she had handled Sidney just moments before. "Can you pick us up at the bar? Monica ditched us here and we don't really know how to get home."

"Um…" He pause for a while and sounded as if he was getting out of bed. _Likely pulling on his freshly strewn jeans,_ Lizzie thought to herself with a roll of her eyes. "Sure. I'll be there as soon as I can. Which bar was that again?"

_Oh, Christ_, Lizzie thought. _I hope he takes a cab. Must be wasted to not remember which bar we were at all night._ She was so desperate to get home, though, that she didn't even ask about the man's state of inebriation. "We're at Bar East," Lizzie said, suddenly realizing she was shouting. Her ears were ringing from all the music that night.

"Okay, I can be there soon. You said 'we'?"

"Her friend's sick."

"Get her outside if you can. See you soon." And he hung up.

Lizzie was quite a bit too drunk to realize that she hadn't asked Phone Boy for his name.

.xox.

Though she lost track of the exact time, it wasn't long before Lizzie had Sidney out in the fresh December air. "That feels good," Sidney said with a smile before leaning against Lizzie. "Thanks for taking care of me," she said, closing her eyes.

"Not a problem," Lizzie said, staring down at her phone. She wished Monica's boy toy would get here soon. _What time did I call her?_ she wondered, bringing up her recent calls list.

That's when Lizzie's heart stopped.

Her address book was listed in alphabetical order by last name.

Instead of calling Monica Darby, Lizzie's finger had slipped and she had called the next person down on the list.

Just then, a black sedan, whose make and model Lizzie was unable to make out in her drunken haze, pulled up to the front of the bar. The front window rolled down, and Will popped his head out. "Are you two alright?"

_This has all been a huge misunderstanding_, Lizzie thought to herself. She tried to say those words, but she couldn't. Her eyes were glued to Will. He had come here for here at well after three in the morning just because she'd called him and asked him to.

_This is a mistake. Go home. We'll make our way._ But here he was. Here. In his overpriced car with that sad smile on his face.

_I didn't mean to call you. I am so, so sorry._ But he was here. He had come to pick her up when so many other people would not have even answered their cell.

So instead of saying any of these things, Lizzie shuffled to the back car door and helped Sidney inside before closing it and heading around to the passenger side after making sure no one was coming in either direction.

She closed the car door, turned to face Darcy. He had wound up the window by now and was glancing back at Sidney, who was thankfully half asleep and not even close to vomiting again. His eyes met hers. He needed to shave.

Instead of saying any of those things, Lizzie said the only thing she could say at a time like this. "Thank you."

.xox.

**Hah! However shall Lizzie explain herself? And what does Will think of her drunk dial? And Will Sidney puke all over Will's Audi? Let's hope not. Find out in the next chapter, guys.**

**No, really. Thanks so much for your amazing reviews here and on my tumblr (5give-5get). Please keep reviewing. It honestly inspires me so much!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you to macyaudenstar for her words of encouragement and ibmiller for the prompt that inspired me to finish this chapter on a rather nasty sick day! All of my readers, from tumblr and and elsewhere, are the greatest!**

.xox.

_It's a bad religion to be in love with someone who could never love you._

"Bad Religion" – Frank Ocean

"So am I dropping you off at your place? Your friend's? Your other friend's place – the one that left you?" Could she hear the bitterness behind his voice? Was it evident that he was bitter about this all? _Your friend left you_, Darcy thought to himself, _and you called me. The man you stormed out on the night before._

"Ah, hold on," Lizzie said, and Will glanced over to see her scrolling through her address book. "Thanks again," she murmured in what seemed to me an embarrassed tone as she pressed send and made the call she needed to. After a few moments, she spoke into the receiver. "Monica?" There was a pause. "Yeah, it's Lizzie. Oh, you went to his place?" Another pause. "Right. I'll drop Sidney off at your house and we can wait. See you soon." She hung up her phone, clearly exasperated. "Last time I'm going out with _that_ girl," she murmured with a roll of her eyes before giving Darcy the directions to Monica's place.

As the waited at a red light, Will glanced at Lizzie out of the corner of his eye. With her friend – _Sidney_, he thought now – relaxed, completely asleep in his backseat, he was able to spare his every single sideways glance at Lizzie without drawing anyone else's attention. "May I ask," he said now, as he pressed his foot lightly on the gas and the Audi purred to life, "why you called _me_ to pick you up?"

"Ah, well, about that…" Lizzie glanced feverishly at her phone and seemed to send a fake text or two. Will smirked. He was an expert at avoiding situations with a fake text, or two, or twenty. As much confusion as he harbored towards Lizzie Bennet, he could appreciate their similarities, and of course he was still madly in love with her. His smirk turned into a small, rueful frown at that point of consideration.

She was quiet for the rest of the car ride, and they were soon at their destination. After struggling to find a parking spot, all three exited the car, Sidney groggily searching through her clutch for the spare key Monica had given her.

Darcy followed the girls in, assuming he would help Lizzie place Sidney comfortably on the couch before making his way out. It wasn't hard to get Sidney comfortably settled. Even in her short, gold sequined dress, she had been comfortable to pass out in the back seat of Will's car. A couch with a warm blanket tucked around her body and a pillow behind her head proved even more satisfactory. She was out in seconds.

"So I'll see myself out," Will said, headed back towards the door. Lizzie obviously was not in the mood to provide her reasons for calling him. He'd clearly been a last resort. He had finally turned around, resolved not to send her so much as a backwards glance, when he felt Lizzie's touch on his arm and turned around to see her smiling at him sadly.

"No, don't go," she said with a frown. "I mean, at least stay for a drink. I owe you one after giving us a ride and putting up with that." She jerked her head towards the living room, which was only barely visible from the cramped hallway.

Will shrugged. "It was no trouble. I fear _you_ were the one who had something to put up with."

Lizzie's frown deepened. "No, it was great of you to come pick us up." Darcy noticed that her small white hand was still on his arm. She saw his glance and removed her hand, and his eyes flew to her face. She was blushing furiously and staring at the ground. Lizzie cleared her throat before meeting his eyes again. "Let's sneak into Monica's liquor cabinet. The least she owes us both is a drink, and I owe you an explanation."

It turned out the Monica was not exactly a connoisseur when it came to alcoholic beverages. After a few minutes of rummaging through mostly empty bottles, Darcy eventually settled for a small, neat glass of Jack Daniels while Lizzie helped herself to whatever the latest flavor of Pinnacle vodka was. She giggled while sipping from a glass that was obviously meant to house orange juice, not liquor, then winced. "Lydia would love this," she said, glancing at the bottle. She didn't even send Will a reproachful glance at the mention of her sister, whose personality he had insulted in the past. "Who even thinks up these flavors?"

Will shrugged, leaning against the kitchen counter. "I haven't drank vodka since college."

Lizzie was leaning against the counter opposite him in the small kitchen. In another life, one in which she did not hate him, the toes of their shoes may have touched. "I can't picture you being much of a drinker," she said with a sarcastic little wink.

Will sighed and shrugged. "I'm not, that much. I sometimes have a few drinks to unwind on the weekends, but I never really was. We all have our moments, though." He shuddered, remembering a particular night his sophomore year.

"Oh, come on," Lizzie said. "You've got to take me the story."

Darcy shook his head. He suddenly felt a little warm, perhaps from the liquor, and rolled up the sleeves of his button-down to expose his forearms. He glanced self-consciously at the floor, certain that Lizzie would laugh at him if he told her his story. But didn't he like – no, _love_ – the sound of her laugh?

"I couldn't possibly. You'd tease me."

"What a shame," Lizzie immediately replied, and when he met her eyes, she was blushing rather soberly. "I love to laugh."

He shrugged, figuring that he might as well please her for a few minutes, since that was all he ever seemed to have. A few golden moments with Elizabeth Bennet, before she stalked off all angry and determined to hate him. "It's not much of a story," he assured her. "It mostly involves me heaving over a dormitory toilet, with Bing rolling bottles of water at me from the other side of the stall door."

"He didn't hold your hair back?" Lizzie replied with a smirk.

"I don't really _have_ hair, so –"

"Last I checked, which was, um, right now... You have a decent head of hair, Darcy. You're not exactly Daddy Warbucks."

"That's not what I meant." Why was she rendering him so incompetent when it came to saying what he meant? This always happened around Lizzie, when Will was generally so direct in his manner of communicating. "What I mean to say, was that –"

But just then the apartment door opened, and into the hallway stumbled a small blonde woman, teetering in too-high heels and sporting some very smudged lipstick and eyeliner. She didn't immediately notice Darcy and Lizzie in the kitchen, and so she called out. "Lizzie? Sid?"

Darcy glanced at Lizzie, who knocked back her drink and motioned for him to do the same. She reached forward to grab his glass, and their fingers touched for the briefest of moments before she stowed their glasses away in the sink.

"I'm here, Monica," Lizzie said, walking into the hall. Will followed her at a wary pace. "Sidney's on the couch, sleeping."

"Oh, I'm so sorry about everything, Lizzie," Monica assured her, going in for a hug. It was then that she made eye contact with Will and pulled away. She offered him her hand, which was framed by the faux fur of the vest she was wearing that had drooped down to her wrists. "And who are you?" she asked by way of introduction.

After some awkward greetings were made, Lizzie nodded to the door, obviously eager to leave. Was it Monica's presence that was disconcerting her? Or Will's? _Monica_, Darcy assured himself. _It's her. We've been getting along fine all night. And _she_ called _me.

Though he still didn't know why.

Once outside, Lizzie asked the inevitable question. "So I guess… Well… Can you give me a ride back to my place?"

_I don't want to at all_, Will thought to himself. _Come back to my place. Please. If only for a few more drinks._ He was unable to make his mouth form the words, though, and so instead he said, "Of course. Just give me the directions."

Will wasn't shocked that Lizzie's neighborhood was nowhere near his, though he wondered why she had been wandering in his area just last night. They were at her apartment soon enough, because even in the city that never sleeps, the traffic at this time of night wasn't exactly horrendous. "Thank you so much," Lizzie told him when they reached their destination. "I'd… I'd invite you up for another drink, but it's late, and…"

"I'm sure you don't find my company that desirous, anyway," Darcy spat out before he was unable to stop himself.

"Will, I…" She hadn't said his first name in ages, and so the mere utterance of it, with no obvious intention to finish her statement, sent his eyes to his lap, out at the view of the street, to the glove box – anywhere but at Lizzie's face, at her hands, at her collarbone…

"I hadn't meant to call you tonight," she finally said, her voice sounding nervous and rush and foreign in Will's ears. _Of course I knew that_, he thought to himself. _Of course. I'm not even a last resort. Of course._ "Monica's last name is Darby. I thought maybe you were the guy she was with when I heard a male voice on the other end, and by the time I realized my mistake it was too late. You were already almost here." _Of course._

"I don't know what to say, then, though I am deeply sorry if my presence disturbed you."

"No!" Lizzie said with some sort of desperate choking twang to her voice, and Will dared to meet her eyes, which seemed to be pooling with tears. "No, thank you so much. It was so… It was nice of you, you know?"

Her cell phone made a noise and she peered down at it awkwardly. "It's Monica," she said with a sniff. "She wants to know that I got home safely. Like she cared a few hours ago." She rolled her eyes, then pocketed the thing. "I'll reply when I get inside."

She unbuckled her seatbelt and reached for the door. "Thanks again, Darcy. Thank you." And though he wanted to reach across the car and grab her arm – to kiss her or slap her or something else, he wasn't sure – all Darcy did was nod and let her go, watching until Lizzie was safely inside.

.xox.

**I'll try to update sooner next time! Feedback in any form – positive reviews, concrit, what you would like to see next, etc. is always appreciated, either in a review or over at my tumblr (5give-5get).**

**And I assume we all saw Monday's LBD. Lydia broke my heart! What about you guys? I totes want Lydia to make an appearance in this fic for a chapter or two. Thoughts?**


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